H

aving a performance dog get diagnosed with Primary
Open Angle Glaucoma (POAG) changes your priorities
and goals for their career. This is what happened with

my performance dog, Brillo, just after the Tucson national
this past spring.

He was entered in Agility and Beginner Obedience at the

regional and national. He qualified in Beginner Novice at
both trials, and earned his last title, although I did not know
it would be his last. The following weekend back home, he
was entered in another agility trial but, on the first run of
the day, I knew something was very wrong. Brillo, normally
a very confident agility dog, stopped in front of jumps and
refused to enter tunnels. I knew he must have a vision 
problem, so I got an ophthalmology appointment; however,
it would be 2½ weeks before he could be seen.

In the meantime, I ordered a POAG DNA swab kit for

him. At his appointment, it was discovered that the lens 
in his right eye had already luxated due to glaucoma. He
also had increased pressure in both eyes, and some very 
advanced changes in his right eye due to the glaucoma. 
The decision was made to treat with drops; the right eye 
was treated more aggressively than the left. 

By our next appointment one week later, Brillo had 

lost all vision in his right eye. Here was the ugliness of 
glaucoma, right in front of me. At this point, the best thing
for Brillo was to proceed with enucleation of the right eye to
control pain. He did well with the surgical procedure and,
boy, did he bounce back! The day after surgery with an 
E-Collar on his head, he was running around like a puppy.
When I saw the way he acted just 24 hours after surgery, I
knew I had done the right thing for him. No more pain in
his eye, and I had a new dog.

His POAG DNA did come back as AFFECTED, and there

was pathology performed on the enucleated eye that also
demonstrated genetic POAG. 

Brillo is now six months post-diagnosis. He is still seeing

the ophthalmologist monthly, and we’re treating his 
remaining eye aggressively. He currently receives three 
different eye medications three times a day in the hopes of
retaining normal vision as long as possible. I have chosen
(and with the ophthalmologist’s encouragement) to no
longer compete with him, but he certainly doesn’t care
about the titles! And, I’m glad to have my PBGV back to his
normal, happy self.  

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Saber Tails   

IWinter 2015    

www.pbgv.org

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PBGV Health Watch       

by Lora Megli

Brillo’s Story

Brillo

As of October, totals for PBGVs in the 

United States tested for POAG are:

Not affected - 147

Carrier -  109

Affected - 10 

for a total of 266 PBGVs tested to date.

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